Written by Sabine Hoadley, Bsc (Hons), Lead Exercise Scientist
In the pursuit of longevity and wellbeing, humans have explored ways in which we may live until we are 100. Yet, in certain areas across the world, there are regions that are home to many centenarians (people who live to over 100). These people live notably longer, heathier lives than the global average. Researchers have named these areas “Blue Zones” (1).
The question is, what is it that we can learn from these ‘Blue Zones’? How can that translate into our personal lives to help us live longer, healthier lives?
What are Blue Zones?
The National Geographic founded a study, led by Dan Buettner to uncover the secrets of longevity across the world. This study evolved into the discovery of 5 places around the world where people consistently live over 100 years old. These were named the Blue Zones (1) In these areas, people reached the age of 100 at 10 times greater rates than in the United States.
The zones identified were Loma Linda, CA, USA; Nicoya, Costa Rica; Sardinia, Italy; Ikaria, Greece; Okinawa, Japan.
The Danish Twin Study (2) established that only about 20% of how long the average person lives is dictated by our genes, whereas the other 80% is dictated by our lifestyle.
This demonstrates that lifestyle and environment play a huge role in longevity, and the researchers exploring these blue zones set out to establish what these factors were.
The Power 9
So how it that people live to 100, if genetics only takes up about 20% of the chance?
Many people in Blue Zones make it well into their early 90’s in the absence of chronic disease. Research unveiled 9 evidence-based common denominators that these regions had in common to slow down the process of aging.
1. Move Naturally
The World’s longest living people live in environments that constantly nudge them to move without thinking about it. Whether its gardening, walking or manual labour, people who live in blue zones engage in consistent movement throughout the day, which is woven into their daily life. The Sardinian community walk about 5 mountainous miles on average per day!
2. Purpose
A common theme in the Blue Zones is that people have a strong sense of purpose. Knowing what gets you out of bed in the morning and feeling a sense of purpose can add an extra 7 years of life expectancy, research suggests (1).
3. Downshift
Whilst stress is a natural phenomenon for people, regardless of the area you live in, people in Blue Zones have ways that their stress is well managed. For Ikarians, this is by being consistent with taking naps, for Adventists, this solace can be found through praying and for Sardinians, this is through having a happy hour.
4. 80% Rule
Hara hachi bu – is a Japanese term that means eat until you’re 80% full. The 20% gap between not being hungry and feeling full could be the difference between losing and gaining weight. Generally speaking, the smallest meal is eaten in the afternoon or early evening.
5. Plant Slant
Amongst those living in Blue zones, the cornerstone of Centenarian diets is fava, black, soy, lentils. Diets generally consist of wholegrains, beans, garden vegetables, leafy greens, nuts, and legumes. Meat is generally saved for weekends or special occasions and eaten in small portions. Processed food is rarely consumed.
6. Wine
Moderate alcohol consumption is generally a common theme amongst people who live in blue zones. It is common to for people to have 1-2 glasses per day, with friend and food.
7. Belong
Another common theme amongst centenarians is that most people are part of some faith-based community.
8. Loved Ones First
Successful centenarians in the Blue Zones put their families first. This means that aging parents and grandparents are often kept nearby or in the home. They will often commit to a life partner (which can add up to 3 years of life expectancy) and invest time with loved ones.
9. Right Tribe
The world’s longest-lived people chose (or were born into) circles of social communities that shared like-minded decisions for healthy behaviours.
Staying active
One of the key lessons that we can take from the inhabitants of blue zones is that regular, low-intensity physical activity should be woven into life daily. Whether this is through gardening, walking, or generally opting for more labour-intensive options, it is important to balance everyday life with a good level of daily activity.
Eat plant based nutrition
Aim for a well-balanced diet that is rich in fruit, vegetables, legumes, and wholegrains. It is also important to try and limit processed food consumption. Currently in the UK, more than half of the energy consumed on average comes from ultra-processed foods such as packaged breads, microwave meals, breakfast cereals and cakes. As such, these are correlated with increases in obesity and chronic disease (4).
Try to embrace nutrition that has a wide variety of natural colour. The phrase ‘eating the rainbow’ has been coined to encouraged people to eat a diverse array of fruit and veg because the colours within these contain phytonutrients which strongly correlated with the reduction in chronic disease (5). This is known to be down to the anti-inflammatory properties that plant compounds such as polyphenols contain.
Top tips for home could be putting a fruit bowl on the table, serving food at the stove and not the table and trying to add vegetables into each of your meals that you make.
Connect with others
Connect with family, friends and loved ones and ensure to promote a sense of belonging and emotional well-being. This may be by joining a local hiking group, attending a new book club, or hosting friends and family for dinner parties. Research shows that social connectedness is associated with lower risk of health complications in life (3). Try to create social networks of like-minded people who are health conscious too.
Find your purpose
Purpose is a huge component of longevity, so it is important to find out what gets your out of bed in the mornings and how you can bring meaning and fulfilment to your life, whether that is through your career, hobbies, or volunteer work.
Manage stress
Nearly everyone will experience stressful periods in their lives, but finding ways to cope and manage that stress is important to reduce the negative effects that stress can have on the body. For some people, this is through mindfulness and meditation, whereas for others, this may be achieved through spending time in nature.
How we can help you at Uniquely Health
At Uniquely Health, we pride ourselves in our ability to make evidence-based recommendations around your health using the latest research. Whilst Blue Zones has landmarked the 5 aforementioned regions, there is no reason for us not to start adopting some of the routines that these successful centenarians have.
Our team at Uniquely Health is equipped to challenge you with the optimal balance of exercise, nutrition, and lifestyle change to help you to live your longest, healthiest life.
We are here to help guide that journey and help you to enhance your quality of life and chances of living longer, healthier lives. As we navigate through the complexities of modern living, we should learn to draw inspiration from the simple, yet effective lives of those living in Blue Zones.
Key Conclusions
1. Bluezones are the 5 hotspots of longevity around the world, where people live to 100 more often than elsewhere.
2. We can take lessons from the Power 9 into modern life, focusing on staying active, connecting with others, finding purpose, managing stress, and eating plant-based nutrition.
3. Living a healthier lifestyle can support better long-term health, increase healthspan and increase longevity.
If you are looking for support increasing your healthspan, book a complimentary call with our team to discuss how we can help you.
- Buettner, D. and Skemp, S., 2016. Blue zones: lessons from the world’s longest lived. American journal of lifestyle medicine, 10(5), pp.318-321.
- Herskind, A.M., McGue, M., Holm, N.V., Sørensen, T.I., Harvald, B. and Vaupel, J.W., 1996. The heritability of human longevity: a population-based study of 2872 Danish twin pairs born 1870–1900. Human genetics, 97, pp.319-323.
- Yang, Y.C., Boen, C., Gerken, K., Li, T., Schorpp, K. and Harris, K.M., 2016. Social relationships and physiological determinants of longevity across the human life span. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 113(3), pp.578-583.
- Rauber, F., Louzada, M.L.D.C., Steele, E.M., Millett, C., Monteiro, C.A. and Levy, R.B., 2018. Ultra-processed food consumption and chronic non-communicable diseases-related dietary nutrient profile in the UK (2008–2014). Nutrients, 10(5), p.587.
- Minich, D.M., 2019. A review of the science of colorful, plant-based food and practical strategies for “eating the rainbow”. Journal of Nutrition and Metabolism,
